If the TSA's 'natural hair patdown' practice is not racial profiling, what is?

[Judi Lynn]

If the TSA's 'natural hair patdown' practice is not racial profiling, what is?

The idea of African Americans' hair as terrorist threat is absurd, but apparently our unruly locks strike fear into white America

Imara Jones
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 20 December 2012 15.23 EST

What does America's Transportation Security Agency (TSA) believe that black people are holding in our hair before we board planes?

I was forced to ask myself this question just days ago when two TSA agents halted the security line at Los Angeles International Airport to search my shoulder-length curls for weapons of war. As the country moves into the busy holiday travel season, countless more black and brown Americans with natural hair will be forced to query the same.

Over the past year, "natural hair pat downs" have taken place with greater reported frequency. The fact that they occur at all underscores that America's post-racial future still has roots in its racist past.

With a twice-elected black man as the country's chief executive, how could the TSA get it so wrong?

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/20/tsa-natural-hair-patdown-racial-profiling

[Scootaloo]

1. "Undercover Brother" is a TSA training video.

Didn't you know?

[cpamomfromtexas]

2. They do it to blonde hair too. I was wondering why they were touching my hair.

[Bucky]

4. Perhaps they found it irresistable

[Bucky]

3. The rhetorical device "How can people still do X after this country elected a black president?"...

is wearing thin. Colbert was making fun of it four years ago with his jabs about "okay, racism's over" riffs. I've met a few Obama supporters in the past few years who are clearly not all that enlightened on racial matters. I mean, if you can't count on a bigot to compartmentalize his feelings from his intellect, who can you count on?

[FailureToCommunicate]

5. I hope the TSA checks THIS lady's hair!

TSA theatre never ceases to amuse